On October 2, 2023, CCIG co-sponsored the hybrid Side Event “Embedding Youth Participation into Climate Action and Decision-making within and beyond the Caritas Network”, organized by Caritas Internationalis, in conjunction with the 54th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The event was co-sponsored by other CCIG members, namely the Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice (IIMA) and VIDES International.
The main objective of this side event was to underscore the pivotal role of youth engagement in decision-making spaces related to environmental protection and to outline actionable strategies for enhancing their involvement. By convening a diverse range of stakeholders, including young professionals and volunteers and junior experts, it aimed to foster an inclusive dialogue to highlight the unique contributions youth make to shaping effective policies and practices to protect the environment, including through a human rights-based approach.
Within the framework of Caritas Internationalis’ global “Together We Belong” campaign on public participation in climate spaces, the side-event aimed at illustrating the positive impact young people make in socio-environmental initiatives and decisions. This was framed as a call to safeguard and advance their rights. Since the adoption of the UN Youth Strategy “Youth 2030” important steps have been taken to strengthen meaningful youth engagement and participation in global processes and frameworks relevant to them. Climate change and human rights clearly appear to be topics at the forefront of their concerns. Hence, in its resolution 51/17, the Human Rights Council decided to incorporate into its programme of work a biennial panel discussion on youth and human rights, whose theme would be young people’s engagement with climate change and global environmental decision-making processes. The importance of the topic within the framework of the HRC54 cannot be overstated.
Co-moderated by Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, and Maria D’Onofrio, Secretary General of the CCIG, the panel was made up of H.E. Ms. Yessenia Lozano Gallegos, Permanent Mission of El Salvador; Mr. Mario Galbert, OHCHR Youth Advisory Group; Mr. John Marazita, Liaison Officer to the United Nations and ILO in Geneva, Republic of Kiribati; Mr. Winton Herman, Caritas youth representative from Cook Island; and Alfonso Apicella, Caritas Internationalis’ Global Campaigns Manager. Closing remarks were given by Helen Griffiths, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Among the outcomes of the event, concrete policy recommendations that incorporate youth perspectives into climate decision-making were shared with relevant stakeholders and policymakers for consideration. In particular, it was recommended to systematically mainstream youth rights through existing UN Human Rights mechanisms, especially the UPR and the Treaty Bodies.
To watch the video recording of the event, click here.
Related article on Caritas Internationalis website is available here.
Image by UNICEF